There has been a tenfold increase in whooping cough cases reported across the European Union and European Economic Area between 2023 and April 2024, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Whooping cough is a highly infectious acute bacterial disease that targets the respiratory system. It triggers troublesome coughing fits and can cause breathing difficulties. The illness can worsen into pneumonia, posing a significant risk to infants.
Newborns under six months of age face an increased danger of severe forms of the disease, and even death. These infants comprise the majority of hospitalisations and deaths linked to whooping cough, the ECDC noted. It added that elderly individuals and those with existing health problems are also at increased risk of hospitalisation.
A range of factors could be contributing to the surge in whooping cough cases, according to the European Centre. Among these are lower rates of vaccination, forgetting booster vaccine doses, or a weaker immunity likely caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We have safe and effective vaccines that can prevent this. Vaccination is our primary tool to save lives and stop disease spread," stressed Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health.
Both the ECDC and the European Commissioner urge health authorities in all European countries to emphasise the importance of vaccination even further. They remind everyone that the vaccine is free and adults should receive it every ten years.
